Automatic web winding device



L. J. CAMBO N AUTOMATIC WEB WINDING DEVICE Jan. 20, 1970 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 28, 1968 Jan. 20, 1970 L. J. CAMBON AUTOMATIC WEB WINDING DEVICE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 28, 1968 Jan. 20, 1970 r L- J. CAMBON I 3,490,711

AUTOMATIC WEB WINDING DEVICE Filed Jim 28, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet s Jan. 20, 1970 1.. J. CAMBON 3,490,711

AUTOMATIC WEB WINDING DEVICE Filed June 28, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

Jan. 20, 1970 L- J. CAMBON AUTOMATIC WEB WINDING DEVICE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 28. 1968 United States Patent 3,490,711 AUTOMATIC WEB WINDING DEVICE Louis Jean Cambon, Paris, France, assignor to Societe dEtudes de Machines Speciales, Societe Anonyme, Paris, France Filed June 28, 1968, Ser. No. 741,067 Claims priority, application France, July 10, 1967, 113,752 Int. Cl. 1365b 19/20 US. Cl. 24256 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An automatic device for winding web material on a mandrel, wherein the means for rotatably driving the mandrels comprise a main variable speed transmission, two auxiliary variable speed transmissions driven from said main variable speed transmission and having their output shafts operatively connected to the input shafts of a pair of slipping couplings having their output shafts adapted rotatably to drive said two mandrels, and servo means associated with each auxiliary variable speed transmission and adapted to control the degree of slip between the input and output shafts of the slipping coupling and to react upon one of said auxiliary variable speed transmissions so as to keep said slip and therefore the tension of the web wound on the reel to a constant value.

Background of the invention This invention relates to devices for automatically winding a web material on a mandrel.

The chief problem to be solved in the winding of web material, for example a paper web, on a mandrel or like member, consists in maintaining a constant tension in the web throughout the winding operation. This constant web tension is attended by a torque exerted on the reel being formed, this torque increasing with the reel diameter. If the mandrel on which the web is being wound is rotatably driven from a control or power shaft through the medium of a slipping coupling, the torque increment caused by the web tension as a consequence of the constant increase in the reel being formed is attended by an increment of the slip between the mandrel and its control shaft, whereby the mandrel revolves at a decreasing speed.

In this device the power absorbed by the mandrel driving device corresponds to the slip multipled by the torque.

Therefore, this absorbed power attains a considerable F value at the end of the winding operation, especially in the case of a large-diameter reel, for in this case both slip and torque are very important.

Summary of the invention It is the essential object of the present invention to avoid this inconvenience by providing a device capable of limiting considerably the slip between the main driving device and the mandrel, within limits consistent with the proper operation of the machine.

To this end, this automatic device for winding web material on a mandrel, which comprises at least two opposite mandrels rotatably mounted on a support adapted to revolve about an axis and means for rotatably driving said mandrels on their support, is characterized in that the means for rotatably driving the mandrels comprise a main variable speed transmission, two auxiliary variable speed transmissions driven from said main variable speed transmission and having their output shafts operatively connected to the input shafts of a pair of slipping couplings having their output shafts adapted rotatably to drive said two mandrels, and servo means associated with each auxiliary variable speed transmission and adapted to control the degree of slip between the input nd output shafts of the slipping coupling and to react upon one of said auxiliary variable speed transmissions so as to keep said slip and therefore the tension of the web wound on the reel to a constant value.

Preferably, the servo means provided for keeping said slip to a constant value comprise a differential of which the outer case is coupled to the output shaft of said permanent-slip coupling and of which the inner shaft is coupled to the input shaft of said coupling, and pick-up means for detecting the movement of the planet carrier of said differential, said pick-up means being connected via an amplifier to a servomotor controlling the adjustment of the aforesaid auxiliary variable speed transmission in order to hold said differential planet carrier against motion.

The automatic winding device according to this invention is adapted, at the output end of a continuously rotating machine, to form paper reels, or reels from any other web material, on mandrels without gluing the web thereon. Moreover, the winding takes place under a constant tension. The winding device operates continuously and it is not necessary to stop or slow down the apparatus or machines disposed upstream thereof during its operation.

Brief description of the drawing A typical form of embodiment of this invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURES 1a and 1b, when assembled along the lines a-b, show together a longitudinal vertical section of an automatic winding device according to this invention;

FIGURES 2a and 2b, when assembled along the lines a-b, show together a cross-sectional view of the same device;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary elevational view thereof.

Description of the preferred embodiment The winding device illustrated in the drawing comprises, at its input end, a cylinder 1 rotatably driven at a speed at least equal to that of the size developed in the preceding apparatus. A paper web 2 or any other web of material is introduced into the winding device by inserting its leading edge between the cylinder 1 and a lower pressure cylinder 3 rotatably mounted on a lever 4 fulcrumed on a shaft 5 and urged by a spring 6 to the position of mutual engagement of said cylinders. The web 2 will then slip on the top of a horizontal table 10 extending throughout the length of the device.

The cylinder 1 as well as the other rotary component elements of the winding device of this invention is rotatably driven from a main power shaft 7 of which the movement of rotation is transmitted via toothed wheels 8, 9 and 11 to a main variable speed transmission 12. The output shaft of this transmission 12 is operatively connected in turn through a train of gears comprising the wheels and pinions 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21,

- 22, 23 rigid with the transverse shaft 26, on one side 3 the device, and an intermediate pinion 24, to a pinion 25 solid with said cylinder 1.

The shaft 26 is adapted to impart a continuous rotation to a blade 27 of which the sharp or cutting edge describes a circle 28. Underlying the paper Web 2 and registering with the lowermost generatrix of the circular path 28 followed by the outer edge of blade 27 is a counter-blade 29 constituting with the movable blade 27 a rotary cutter. This counter-blade 29 is carried by levers 32 fulcrumed on a shaft 33 and rigid with an arm 34.

Under normal operating conditions of the device, i.e. when the rotary cutter is inoperative, the counter-blade 29 is somewhat shifted downwards to the position shown in FIGURE 1a by a pivoting catch 35 engaging the end of arm 34 and responsive to an electromagnet 36.

The arm 34 is urged by a tension spring 31 and carries at its lower end a roller follower 37 engaging the contour of a cam 38. This cam 38 is rotatably driven from a train of gears comprising a pinion 29 rotatably rigid with pinion 24, intermediate pinions 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46 and another pinion 47 rigid with said cam 38.

When the paper web has to be cut an electrical distributor (not shown) energizes the electromagnet 36, thus causing the catch 35 to rotate and release the arm 34. Under these conditions the arm 34 urged by the tension spring 31 pivots about the pivot pin 33 towards the cam 38 and the roller follower 37 engaging same drops into a notch 38a of said cam, the latter being driven for continuous rotation. The pivoting movement (in the counter-clockwise direction as seen in FIGURE 1a) of arm 34 is attended by the upward movement of counterblade 29, whereby the web is cut when the movable blade 27 registers with the counter-blade 29. When the paper web is cut and before the blade 27 has completed a revolution, the cam 38 causes the roller follower 37 to rise on its outer contour and therefore the catch 35 to re-engage the lower end of arm 34 and thus hold the counter-blade 29 in its lower or inoperative position.

Downstream of the rotary cutter the paper web is fed between an upper cylinder 48 and a lower pressure cylinder 49 carried by levers 51 fulcrumed on a. pin 52 and urged by a tension spring 53. This cylinder 48 is rotatably rigid with a pinion 50 in constant meshing engagament with the aforesaid pinion 22 and this cylinder 48 will thus revolve at the same speed as the input cylinder 1. However, its diameter is slightly greater than the diameter of said first cylinder 1, in order to tension the paper web 2 between cylinders 1 and 48.

As it emerges from the pair of cylinders 48 and 49 the paper Web is directed horizontally, by slipping on the top of table 10, towards an empty mandrel or core 54 of cardboard or any other suitable material, of which the uppermost generatrix lies substantially in the horizontal plane of table in the receiving position of the mandrel. This mandrel 54 is rotatably mounted, like an opposite mandrel 55, on a pair of arms 56 revolving in turn about a horizontal shaft 57.

In the receiving position illustrated in FIGURE 1a, the mandrel 54 is empty and begins to receive the leading end of the paper web 2, and the opposite mandrel 55 (FIGURE 1b) carries a freshly completed paper reel 58.

The leading end of the freshly cut paper web 2 is wound on the empty mandrel 54 by means of winding belts 59 which are caused to engage the outer peripheral surface of said empty mandrel 54 along a circular arc of about 270 degrees in the position shown in FIGURE 1a.

The winding belts 59 are friction-driven by the mandrel 54 and pass in succession over rollers 61 mounted for loose rotation on a shaft 65, then over guide rollers 62, 63 mounted for loose rotation on bell-crank levers 64 rigid in turn with said shaft 65, then, after having engaged the surface of said mandrel 54, over another pair of rollers 66 and 67 mounted for loose rotation on arms 68 pivoted in turn on said shaft 65, and finally over rollers 69 rotatably mounted together with counterrollers 71 on a pair of levers 72. These levers 72 are fulcrumed on a pin 73 and urged by a return spring 74.

The pivotal movement of the bell-crank levers 64 supporting the guide rollers 62 and 63 of winding belts 59 is controlled by a toothed quadrant 75 rotatably mounted on a shaft 77 and in constant meshing engagement with a pinion 76 rigid with shaft 65. This toothed quadrant 75 urged by a spring 70 carries a roller follower 78 engaging the contour of a cam 79 rotatably solid with the abovementioned cam 39. On the other hand, the toothed quadrant 75 is rigid with a stud 81 engageaible by the end of a pivoted catch 82 controlled by an electromagnet 83.

When a paper web such as reel 58 is about to be completed and it is desired to Wind another paper web on the empty mandrel 54, the belts 59 must firstly be returned to their operative positions in which the bell-crank levers 64 are in their uppermost position as shown in thick lines in FIGURE 1a. On the other hand, during the normal winding process these bell-crank levers 64 must be retracted downwards in an inoperative position shown in dash and dot lines, in which the guide rollers 62 and 63 are in positions 62a and 63a. In this last-named inoperative position the toothed quadrant 75 is retained in its uppermost position in which its stud 81 is engaged by catch 82. Shortly before the web is cut by the rotary cutter 31, the above-mentioned electrical distributor (not shown) controls the energization of electromagnet 83, whereby the catch 82 will pivot about its pin and free the stud 81. Then the roller follower 78 drops into the notch of cam 79 and the toothed quadrant 75 is pivoted in the counter-clockwis direction by the spring 70 about its pin 77 to the position illustrated in the drawing. This toothed quadrant 75 will then cause the pinion 76 to rotate in the clockwise direction, thus rotatably driving the shaft 65 and bell-crank levers 64 in the same direction. The movable rollers are thus returned from positions 62a, 63a to positions 62 and 63 in which they keep the winding belts 59 against a considerable portion of the peripheral surface of the empty mandrel 54.

In the inoperative or shifted position of winding belts 59 these belts are kept under tension by the guide rollers 69 mounted on levers 72 urged by springs 74.

Under these conditions, when the fresh leading edge of the paper web 2 which is obtained as a consequence of the cutting operation emerges horizontally from the pair of cylinders 48 and 49, it is fed to the empty mandrel 54 and nipped between the peripheral surface thereof and the driving belts 59 so as to be wound on the mandrel. When the web has been wound several turns about the mandrel 54 the cam 79 causes the roller follower 78 to rise on the outer diameter of the cam. As a result, the toothed quadrant 75 is rotated in the clockwise direction about the shaft 77 and therefore the pinion 76 and bell-crank levers 64 are pivoted in the counter-clockwise direction. These bell-crank levers 64 and the winding belts 59 are then retracted to their lowermost or inoperative position, and the winding of a fresh reel commencesv Now the mechanism for rotatably driving the mandrels 54 and 55 will be described.

To keep a constant tension in the paper web during the winding thereof on mandrels 54 and 55, it is obvious that these mandrels must be driven at a variable speed so that the tangential speed of a reel being wound will constantly exceed, by about 5%, the linear speed of the paper web 2 at the inlet end of the device. To this end, the mandrels 54 and 55 are rotatably driven from auxiliary variable speed transmissions 84 and 85, respectively.

These mandrels 54 and 55 are driven from identical means, therefore only one driving system, for example the one associated with mandrel 55, will be described herein.

At the output end of the input variable speed transmission 12 of the device the toothed wheel 13 rotatably drives the wheel 14 rigid with the input shaft of the auxiliary variable speed transmission 84. The output shaft 80 of this transmission is operatively connected to a slipping coupling 86, for example of the powder type, of which the output shaft 102 rotatably drives a sprocket wheel 87. This sprocket wheel 87 rotatably drives in turn through the medium of a chain 88 another sprocket wheel 89 rotatably mounted on shaft 57. This sprocket 89 is rotatably rigid with another sprocket wheel 91 connected via a roller chain 92 to a wheel 93 rigid with the shaft of mandrel 55.

The output speed of the auxiliary variable speed transmission 84 (and also of the other transmission 85) may vary in the ratio of 1 to 8.5 in this specific case (this range corresponding substantially to the variation in diameter obtaining during the winding of a reel). The output speed variation is controlled in the variable speed transmission 84 by a servomotor 84a associated therewith.

This variable ratio is controlled by a servo mechanism described hereinafter. This servo mechanism comprises a differential 94 of which the inner shaft 95 is solid with a pinion 96 rotatably driven through an intermediate pinion 97 from a pinion 98 rigid with the output shaft 80 of the variable speed transmission 84 through the medium of the outer case of coupling 86. A toothed annulus'99 rigid with the outer case of differential 94 is in meshing engagement with a pinion 101 rigid with the output shaft 102 of coupling 86. The toothed annulus 99 and inner shaft 95 revolve in opposite directions due to the presence of the intermediate pinion 97.

The gears are so calculated that for a 5% relative slip between the input shaft 80 and the output shaft 102 of coupling 86 the planet carrier 103 of differential 94 remains stationary.

Associated with this planet carrier 103 is a motion detecting pick-up consisting for example of a photoelectric cell 104 and a light source 105 disposed on either side of a hole 106 formed in the planet carrier 103. This photoelectric cell 104 is connected to an amplifier 104a acting upon the servomotor 84a with a view to control the speed variation of the transmission ratio of the variable speed transmission 84.

The above-described servo mechanism operates as follows: During the winding of a paper web on mandrel 55, as the diameter of the reel 58 increases, the tangential speed of the web tends to increase likewise and the mandrel tends on the other hand to rotate at a lower speed due to the resistance of the paper web fed at a constant rate at the input end of the device. At this time the relative slip produced between the input and output shafts 80 and 102 of coupling 86 tends to increase and the planet carrier 103 tends to revolve. The photo-electric 'cell 104 is then illuminated by the light source 105 and emits a signal which, after being amplified in an amplifier 104a, is fed to the servo motor 84a of the variable speed transmission 84 in order to reduce its output speed and restore the slip to a value equal to 5%.

Therefore, throughout the winding operation a constant slip and therefore a constant tension of the paper web are obtained.

When changing the reel, the variable speed transmission is restored automatically to its maximum speed.

During this reel change the arms 56 are pivoted through 180 in two steps. Firstly, a first rotation of these arms 56 is produced in order to bring them to a vertical position and facilitate the removal of the reel 58 carried by the mandrel 55, this reel being in the lower position in this case. After the removal of the fully wound reel from mandrel 55, the arms 56 are rotated through another 90 angle to restore them to their horizontal position.

The rotation of these arms 56 about their shafts 57 is controlled by a motor 107 (FIGURE 3) rotatably driving the shaft 57 through the medium of a reduction gearing 108 and a train of gears 109, 111, 112 and 113. The accurate positioning of shaft 57 and arms 56 is obtained by means of reference marks or fingers 114a, 114b, 114s, and 114d rotatably solid with, or carried by, the shaft 57. and spaced degrees apart about the axis of rotation. These marks or fingers revolve past a fixed index 115 carried by the frame structure of the machine.

The fine-positioning adjustment is made by using a handwheel 116 rigid with the shaft of motor 107.

It will readily occur to anybody conversant with the art that the specific form of embodiment shown and described herein by way of example is given by way of illustration only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention since many modifications and variations may be brought thereto without departing from the general principle of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A device for automatically winding a web material on a mandrel, for example for making paper reels, which comprises a frame structure, a support rotatably mounted on said frame structure, at least first and second diametrally opposite mandrels rotatably mounted on said support, and means for rotatably driving said mandrels which comprise a main variable speed transmission, first and second auxiliary variable speed transmissions comprising each an input shaft rotatably driven from said main variable speed transmission and an output shaft, first and second slipping couplings comprising each an input shaft and an output shaft, means for coupling the input shafts of said first and second slipping couplings to the output shafts of said first and second auxiliary variable speed transmissions, other means for coupling the output shafts of said first and second slipping couplings to said first and second mandrels respectively in order rotatably to drive said mandrels, first-and second servo mechanisms associated with said first and second auxiliary variable speed transmissions for controlling the slip between the input and output shafts of said first and second slipping couplings respectively and reacting upon said first and second auxiliary variable speed transmission in order to keep a constant value the slip between the input and output shafts of said slipping couplings and therefore the tension produced in the web wound as a reel on one of said mandrels.

2. A winding device as set forth in claim 1, wherein each servo mechanism adapted to keep said relative slip to a constant value between the input and output shafts of a coupling comprises a differential comprising an external case, an inner central shaft and a planet carrier, an annular set of teeth carried by said external case of said differential, first pinion rigid with the output shaft of said slipping coupling and in constant meshing engagement with said annular set of teeth, a train of gears coupling said inner central shaft of said differential to the input shaft of said slipping coupling, a servo motor controlling the adjustment of said auxiliary variable speed transmission, and electric pick-up means for detecting the movement of said differential planet carrier, said pickup means being connected to the differential planet carrier in order to feed thereto an electric signal for holding said differential planet carrier against motion.

3. A winding device as set forth in claim 1, comprising a horizontal shaft rotatably mounted on said frame structure, means for rotatably driving said shaft, and a pair of diametral arms rotatably rigid with same shaft and having said mandrels rotatably mounted to their ends, respectively.

4. A winding device as set forth in claim 1, which comprises a horizontal table on which said web is adapted to slip, cylinders for feeding said web, a rotary cutter for cutting said web, a first electromagnet and a first cam controlling the web rotary cutter, and means for winding the web on an empty mandrel, said device further comprising a shaft, a support pivotally mounted on said shaft, first rollers rotatably mounted on said pivoting support, second rollers having a fixed position, winding belts passing over said first and second rollers, and another electromagnet and another cam for controlling the pivotal movement of said roller support carrying said driving belts in order normally to keep said winding belts in a retracted position, in the inoperative condition thereof, during the formation of a Web reel on a mandrel, and to press said belts against one fraction of the peripheral surface of an empty mandrel when said rotary cutter is operated.

8 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS LEONARD D. CHRISTIAN, Primary Examiner UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3 I90.71l Dated Januarv 20. 1970 Inventor(s) Louis Jean Chambon It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that: said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

IN COLUMN '1 Change the inventor's name from "Louis Jean Cambon" to Louis Jean Chambon IN THE DRAWINGS:

Change the inventor's name from "L. J. Cambon" to L. J. Chambon u'rul Hi1. Sir-1gb!) JAN 5%; 2

January 26, I971 (SEA!) Mime-.11. "m E- .m. H p weer Melon of Patent FORM po'wso uscoMM-oc wan-Pas: t ",5, GOVIIIUIINI PRINTING OFFICE: Ill. 0-800-334 

